


work this out

by mullethyuck



Series: we're all in this together [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Art Shows, Emotional Constipation, Friendship, Gay Panic, Getting to Know Each Other, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Lunch, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, hot pot, the fic is even more of a disaster, these are the most vague tags ever but??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 12:29:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19173301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mullethyuck/pseuds/mullethyuck
Summary: “Brace yourself,” is the first thing Donghyuck says as he walks up to the table.





	work this out

**Author's Note:**

> ash back at it again with "disappointed but not surprised: the sequel"
> 
> idk i stayed off of twitter for one (1) day and i came back to renvy nation thriving so here we are thanks [raina](https://twitter.com/calicoline) for being my chronic enabler ily bby <3

“Brace yourself,” is the first thing Donghyuck says as he walks up to the table.

Jeno looks up from his salad. “For what?”

“You’ll see,” Donghyuck answers cryptically, and really, Jeno should’ve seen that coming. Donghyuck is never any help.

Mark sits down next, across from Donghyuck, probably so he can keep an eye on him - which is a good move, honestly. He’s the only one who can even come close to reining Donghyuck in. Jaemin follows, sitting next to Mark because he has this weird system of rotating around the table so all his friends feel equally loved, and he sat next to Jeno yesterday. Renjun is nowhere to be seen, which is only a little alarming because he’s usually the first one to the cafeteria since the art room is right down the hall and he has free period before lunch.

When Jeno mentions it to Donghyuck, nudging him gently with his elbow to stop him from terrorizing Mark, Donghyuck just looks at him like he’s an idiot. “I told you to brace yourself.”

“Thanks, that clears everything up.” Jeno rolls his eyes, and catches Renjun storming toward their table in his peripheral vision. “What’s up his ass?”

“Language,” Mark says out of reflex, even though he knows damn well nobody will listen to him because he curses more than the rest of them combined.

“Fuck off,” Donghyuck says, just to prove a point.

“Shut up, Hyuck,” Jaemin says, also out of reflex.

“All of you shut up,” Renjun says as he slides into the chair next to Jeno. “I’m having a major crisis here.”

“Uh. What?” Mark says like the incredibly intelligent person he is.

Jeno shoots Donghyuck a questioning look, but he’s too busy leaning around Jeno to stare at Renjun to notice. “Spill the tea, Junnie, we don’t have all day,” he says as he practically lays in Jeno’s lap.

“Sit up, Hyuck,” Mark and Jaemin say in unison. Donghyuck flips them off, and Jeno just shrugs at them. At this point he’s used to Donghyuck’s constant need to be all over whoever is closest to him (which usually ends up being Jeno himself).

Renjun still hasn’t said anything, so Jeno just huffs out a sigh and blurts, “What’s the problem?”

“Not what - _who_ ,” is the super helpful answer he gets.

“Okay. Who’s the problem?” Jeno concedes, because it’s easier than pointing out how tedious this whole process is becoming. He wonders if the drama he’s about to hear is even worth all this effort.

“Fucking Harvey Cantwell.” Renjun kind of looks like an angry puppy when he says it, stabbing his rice aggressively with his chopsticks.

Mark says what everyone's thinking. “Who the fuck is that?”

“Language,” they all deadpan back at him. He glares at the table in general, which isn’t very effective. Not that his glares are ever effective, but whatever.

“He’s this new transfer student from the UK, and -”

“Oh sweet, does he have an accent?” Donghyuck cuts in, and Jeno jabs him in the ribs with a finger.

“Hyuckie, let him talk,” Jaemin says lightly before nodding at Renjun with an encouraging smile. He’s invested at this point; they all are.

“Anyway,” Renjun continues with a pointed look at Donghyuck, who’s practically under the table at this point he’s laying across Jeno’s lap so limply. “Harvey’s new, and he just joined the art club today -”

“Shouldn’t that make you happy?” Mark wonders. “You’re the president.”

“Well it _would_ , if he wasn’t such a dick.”

 _“Junnie!”_ Jaemin gasps just as Mark says, “Language,” for probably the hundredth time today.

“Damn, Junnie snapped. Go off, king!”

“Hyuck, shut _up_ ,” Jeno says, but it’s kind of ruined by the fact he’s running his fingers through Donghyuck’s hair. Donghyuck just hums in response.

“Oh my fucking -”

“Language.”

“- god, Mark, stop.” Renjun looks even more pissed than he did when he sat down. “Can y’all please just let me talk?”

Jaemin glances at the clock on the wall. “You have ten minutes. Go!”

“Okay, so Harvey joined the art club, and at first yeah I was excited to have another member. Especially an international student, because I was the only one for like, three years. But anyway, we got to talking because I was telling him about our meetings and when the room is open and whatever, and _then_ he goes - I shit you not - ‘Hey, Renjun, when’s the art show? I wanna apply.’ Can you _believe_ that?” He stops, looking at his friends expectantly.

They all just blink at him for a solid minute before Donghyuck speaks up. “Literally how does that make him a dick?”

Renjun shoots him a withering look. Donghyuck is unfazed, smacking Jeno’s hand so he’ll play with his hair again since he stopped to listen to Renjun’s rant. Jeno does, and Renjun glares at him, too. “Because, you idiot, the art show is super exclusive. Only one person per grade can showcase their work, and it looks really good for college applications because admissions counselors come every year, and the school I’m trying to get into has the highest standards of like, any school ever so I need this to -”

“You need to chill, is what you need,” Donghyuck says offhandedly.

“I hate to say this, and if you ever bring it up again I’ll deny it, but Hyuck is right.”

“Holy shit,” Donghyuck nearly shouts as he sits up from Jeno’s lap. “ _The_ Mark Lee is agreeing with me?”

“I said I’d deny it. So, no.”

“Well, I agree too,” Jaemin says, diverting his attention from where Mark and Donghyuck are still bickering to face Renjun. “I think you’re way too upset about this. You don’t even know if he’ll make it into the art show.”

Jeno meets Jaemin’s eyes for a split second, but they have a full nonverbal conversation in that moment. Knowing each other for ages does have its perks. “Plus, you don’t get this pissed when other people apply for the art show.”

“That’s because I know I can beat them!”

“Damn, he’s defensive _and_ stuck up.” Donghyuck raises an eyebrow. “And petty, let’s not forget petty.”

“I’m gonna punch you, Hyuck,” Renjun says flatly, and if looks could kill, Donghyuck would already be dead. As it stands, though, he just grabs Jeno and uses him as a human shield.

“Please, no violence at the table,” Mark says wearily as he runs an exasperated hand down his face.

“See? Dad said no violence!”

“I’m not your dad, Hyuck.”

Donghyuck gasps dramatically, throwing a hand against his chest. “I’m adopted? All this time I’ve been _lied_ to?”

Mark looks like he wants to die, or maybe like he wants to kill Donghyuck. It could go either way. “You have an actual dad, you know that, right?”

The bell rings before Donghyuck can say something else annoying, saving all of them from the inevitable torture of an argument between him and Mark. Mark should really know by now that he’ll never win against Donghyuck.

-

Renjun skids up next to Jeno’s locker after the last bell of the day, and Jeno nearly has a heart attack as he slams the locker door shut. “I need to come over tonight.”

“Hey, Junnie, nice to see you too. I’m fine, thanks for asking.” Jeno slides his backpack onto his shoulders, wandering off in the direction of the doors.

“Seriously, Jeno, I just saw you three hours ago.”

“And?”

“And I need to come over.”

Jeno stops, and Renjun nearly runs into him as he spins around. “Why?”

“I need to come up with a plan. For dealing with my...situation.”

Jeno quirks an eyebrow at him, but he doesn’t question it. “And you couldn’t go to anyone else’s house because…?”

Renjun sighs. “Mark will make me do homework instead, Hyuck’s an instigating little shit, and Jaemin is way too nice. He’ll just give me sympathetic looks all night and I don’t need that in my life.”

Jeno can’t argue with any of that, actually. He starts walking again. “And what about me?”

Renjun trails behind him, fiddling with the straps of his backpack. “You’re, uh - you’re just. Well.” He seems to have some sort of internal struggle before giving up and saying, “Fuck it, it’s because I want your dad’s cooking.”

Jeno looks at him suspiciously, but nods. “Fine. You can come.”

Renjun looks happier than Jeno’s seen him all day. “Thanks, Jen, you’re a lifesaver.”

Jeno thinks the thank you is a little premature, but he’ll take it.

-

“Dad, I’m home!” Jeno yells in the general direction of the kitchen as he swings the front door open. “And I brought Renjun,” he adds, walking into the living room.

Jeno’s dad leans over the counter, giving Renjun a warm smile. “Hey, Renjun!”

“Hey, Mr. Kim.” Renjun gives a little wave.

“Please, I told you to call me Doyoung,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand. Jeno resists the urge to groan. “Anyway, I hope you’re hungry! We’re having hot pot.”

“Oh, fuck yes,” Renjun says under his breath, and Jeno kicks him in the shin.

“Jen, come help set the table!” his dad chirps, and Jeno gives Renjun one last warning glare before he moves into the kitchen.

Dinner is, overall, surprisingly bearable. Jeno’s stepdad gets home right as they’re finishing with setting the table, and the four of them make pleasant small talk for the most part. Jeno’s dad is embarrassing like always, and Jason enables him like always, but it’s not like Renjun hasn’t been over for dinner before. He’s used to it, and if the amused glint in his eye is any indication, he’s enjoying this way more than Jeno is. Jeno just stuffs his mouth with beef and lets Renjun engage in the conversation on his own.

Which turns out to be a huge mistake, because then Jason is asking about school, and Jeno wants to throttle Renjun before he can get started but of course, he realizes a second too late what’s coming.

“It’s good, except for this new kid we got today. He’s a dick.”

Jeno chokes on a mushroom as his dad says, “Why’s he a dick?” and then Jeno’s pretty sure he’s going to die. He never wants to hear his dad say the word “dick” ever again. This is probably karma for all the times he clowned Mark for getting onto them about cussing.

Jeno wants to say, “Don’t get him started, Dad,” but he’s too busy suffocating to get the words out. So naturally, Renjun launches into the whole spiel again, and it doesn’t make any more sense than the first time Jeno heard it. When he recovers from his near death experience (after chugging an entire glass of water), he says, “I still think you’re being overdramatic,” which earns him a glare from Renjun.

“You know what I think?” Jeno’s dad says way too cheerily not to be questionable.

“What?” Renjun asks, probably because he’s hoping Doyoung will take his side.

Which he does, the traitor. Whatever happened to families sticking together, and all that bullshit? “I think you’re entitled to feel however you want. Just don’t take it out on Harvey, okay? He probably doesn’t realize he’s done anything to upset you.”

“Well, if you ask me,” Jason chimes in like literally anybody asked him, “I think you like him.”

“You _what?_ ” Renjun and Jeno yelp just as the doorbell rings.

“I’ll get it,” Jeno offers, just to get away from this conversation.

Which he wishes he wouldn’t have done, because when he opens the door, Wong Yukhei is standing there on his front porch. “Uh, Junnie? Your brother’s here.”

“Whomst? I don’t have a brother,” Renjun calls from where he’s still sat at the table shoving dumplings into his mouth.

“Junnie, I swear to god, I’m gonna pummel you if you don’t get in here.”

“Fine,” Renjun pouts as he gets up and sets his napkin on the table next to his plate. He stomps over to the door, which only makes Yukhei smirk fondly at him. Jeno didn’t even know it was possible to look fond while smirking. Then again, a lot of the facial expressions Yukhei pulls off don’t seem possible. “What do you want, Xuxi? And how’d you even know I was here?”

“Mom told me,” Yukhei says with a lighthearted shrug.

Renjun frowns, and Jeno can feel the betrayal rolling off of him in waves. “Okay, and? What do you want?”

“Damn, that’s harsh, little bro. I just came to bring you home.”

Renjun sends a panicked look Jeno’s way, and Jeno really has no idea what’s going on at this point. “I can't go home.”

Yukhei’s eyes widen in alarm at that. “Why? Did something happen? Are you okay? Do you need -”

“He's _fine_ , oh my god. He’s just being a moron.” Jeno opens the door wider and motions for Yukhei to come inside, because he can't be bothered to deal with this right now. He just goes back to the table and spoons some broth into his mouth, accepting the fact that this is his life now.

“I’m not fine, Jeno, I’m having an actual crisis -”

“A sexuality crisis, maybe.”

“- and I would appreciate it if you would stop belittling my very serious dilemma.” Renjun folds his arms as he sits back down in his spot next to Jeno.

Jeno’s dad and stepdad share a look as Yukhei sits down in the free seat at the head of the table, and Doyoung clears his throat. “Well this has been fun, kids, but we have some errands to run so we’ll see you later. Clear the table when you're done, Jen!” He kisses Jeno’s head as he walks out of the room and Jason ruffles Jeno’s hair in passing, then they're out the door in seconds flat. Apparently Jeno isn't the only one trying to escape Renjun’s...whatever it is he has going on.

“So what happened, little bro?” Yukhei asks once it's clear no one else is going to break the silence. Jeno munches loudly on a carrot.

Renjun sighs heavily, laying his head on the table, deflated. “I hate Harvey.”

“Harvey?” Yukhei says with a confused tilt of his head before his face lights up like he's just discovered the secrets of the universe. “Wait, oh my god, Junnie, do you have a secret boyfriend? How did you meet? What happened? Can I see a -”

“He's _not_ my secret boyfriend, dumbass. Or my normal boyfriend, either.”

Renjun doesn't say anything else, so Yukhei turns to Jeno. “He’s new at school and he wants to be in the art show, so Renjun’s pissed for no reason because he thinks that means Harvey has some secret vendetta against him personally and also he probably thinks Harvey is cute, according to my stepdad, so that’s making him more pissed because he doesn’t know how to feel.”

Yukhei nods. “He’s not good with conflicting emotions.”

“Stop psychoanalyzing me,” Renjun mutters into the wood of the tabletop.

“Stop being so stupid.”

Renjun lifts his head up just long enough to stick his tongue out at Jeno before Yukhei says, “Well, is he wrong?”

“About me being stupid? Yes.”

“No, I meant about everything else,” Yukhei prompts.

Renjun doesn't answer for what feels like an hour, but Jeno’s bowl is still steaming so it can’t really be all that long. Then he pushes up off the table, sitting up straight and avoiding their eyes as he mumbles a quiet, “No.”

Yukhei and Jeno glance at each other, then turn back to Renjun. “So what are you gonna do about it?” Yukhei asks.

“About what?”

“All of it.”

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Junnie, that’s a horrible plan.”

Renjun whips his head around to face Jeno. “See, this is why I didn’t want to go home!” He gestures vaguely to all of Yukhei.

Jeno stares at him. “Because of your protective older brother who loves you and wants you to stop being ridiculous?”

“Yes, he’s ruining my life.”

“Jesus, why are you such a drama queen?” Renjun opens his mouth to protest, but Jeno cuts him off before he even gets a word out. “I’m gonna text Hyuck.”

“If you do that, I will literally -”

“He’s good at this stuff, Junnie. Even if he pretends to be an ass.”

“Jaemin’s good at it, too, though.”

“Good point, I’ll text him too.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Oh, hey, Mark is good at this stuff too.” Yukhei immediately looks like he regrets saying it, because Renjun and Jeno are both looking at him like he’s a flat earther or some shit.

“He’s what?” Jeno asks the same time Renjun says, “How the fuck do you know that?”

“Shut up, Junnie, I have a life outside of you.” He turns to Jeno, giving him another one of those weirdly soft smirks. “Mark’s in a couple of my classes, we’ve been texting.”

Renjun makes a fake gagging noise. “I don’t want to know what that means.”

“Well, I do. We have to ask Mark about it at lunch tomorrow, he’s gonna blush so hard, holy shit.”

“Please do not do that.” Yukhei is clearly trying to be stern, but it’s not really working because he’s a giant puppy. He and Renjun have that in common. (The puppy part, not the giant part. Evidently only one of those traits runs in the family.)

Jeno pulls his phone out of his pocket, quickly typing out a message while Renjun desperately tries to read over his shoulder and Yukhei holds his brother back with his stupidly long arms. “What did you just do?” Renjun says as accusingly as he can from the headlock Yukhei has him in.

Jeno gives him a saccharine smile that Renjun obviously isn’t fooled by. “Don’t worry about it, Junnie. Eat your hot pot.”

-

“Brace yourself,” Jeno says as Donghyuck sits down next to him at lunch, throwing his legs across Jeno’s lap as he leans against the wall.

“For what?”

Jeno just puts his hands on Donghyuck’s shins and watches the door. “You’ll see.”

Unlike Jeno, Donghyuck isn’t bothered by a lack of details - he’s just excited to know something is happening. So they sit there, both of them staring at the double doors to the cafeteria as they swing open every two seconds, Donghyuck eyeing Jeno every now and then because he doesn’t even know what he’s looking for. When he says as much, Jeno assures him he’ll know when he sees it, which just earns him a nod and a lazy half-shrug from Donghyuck. Jaemin gets to the table next, sliding in on the other side of Donghyuck, and the second he notices their eyes fixed on the doors he starts staring in that direction too despite having no idea what’s going on. Mark arrives less than a minute later, and does the same exact thing, because mob mentality is a thing but also Mark’s just super self-conscious and always worries he’s missed something. Which in this case he has, but so has everyone else besides Jeno.

Renjun gets to the table last, giving them all a wary look as he sits down next to Mark, across from Jeno. “What the hell are you staring at?”

“I have no fucking clue,” Jaemin says nonchalantly.

Mark turns to him. “You don’t know, either?”

“Nope.” Jaemin’s eyes don’t leave the doors, and neither do Jeno’s or Donghyuck’s, so Mark just goes back to staring with them. Renjun rolls his eyes and digs into his bibimbap.

Then a group of students walks through the doors, and Jeno’s face breaks into a wicked smile. He squeezes Donghyuck’s calf, and he instantly gets the message, perking up as soon as he sees what Jeno’s looking at.

Jaemin and Mark catch on pretty fast, too, because as soon as they see who’s approaching the table their eyes nearly double in size. They whisper to each other way less discreetly than they think, but Jeno can’t make out the words so at least Renjun won’t hear their conversation and bolt before anything even happens.

“That’s him?” he hears Jaemin stage-whisper to Donghyuck. Jeno really wishes they would learn to be quiet for once in their lives.

Donghyuck gives him a condescending look. “Yes, dumbass. How many white boys do you know that go to our school?”

“Now what are you whispering about?” Renjun says loudly before four pairs of eyes flick over his left shoulder. “What the fuck is behind me?”

“Not what, _who_ ,” Jeno says just as Harvey plops down next to Renjun.

Renjun looks like he’s going to commit murder. Harvey is the probable victim, but Jeno’s also a likely candidate because he’s pretty sure Renjun has already figured out this was mostly his doing. “Hey, Renjun,” Harvey says like a perfectly agreeable person, which he probably is.

“Harvey,” Renjun practically hisses. Harvey isn’t even fazed, he just keeps smiling that goofy grin at Renjun like they’ve been best friends for years. “Do you _need_ something?”

This is the quietest their lunch table has ever been, and Jeno can literally feel the tension in the air. He can’t really tell if it’s tension between Harvey and Renjun or the rest of them are just tense as fuck because they fear for Harvey’s life, but either way, it’s definitely there. “I just wanted to say, I’m sorry.”

“He does have an accent,” Donghyuck says under his breath.

“Shut up, Hyuck,” Jeno whispers back just as Jaemin hits Donghyuck on the shoulder. Donghyuck pouts, scooting closer to Jeno, which puts more distance between himself and Jaemin but also gives him a better vantage point of the conversation going on across the table.

“Sorry for what?” Renjun is saying, and poor Mark looks like he wants to melt into the floor.

Jeno pulls Donghyuck into his lap so Jaemin can move to Donghyuck’s seat and Mark can take Jaemin’s so he feels like he isn’t intruding quite so much. Like, yeah, they’re intruding, but at least now Mark doesn’t have to crane his neck to watch this go down so he feels better about it on some level.

Harvey looks down at his lap, hands fidgeting underneath the table. “I just - I didn’t realize the art show was so important to you. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t mean to like, intrude, or anything. So, I’m sorry.” He looks up at Renjun through his lashes, and Donghyuck bounces excitedly on Jeno’s lap because it’s literally right out of a fanfiction. Jeno wraps his arms tightly around Donghyuck’s torso and holds him still because fuck he has a really bony butt. Also it’s hard to see what’s happening with Donghyuck’s fluffy hair flopping around in Jeno’s face.

  
There are several long seconds of complete silence (or well, as silent as it can get in a high school cafeteria) before Renjun lets out a faint, “Uhm.”

Jaemin breaks. “ _Uhm?_ Junnie, are you kidding me?” He leans down, banging his head lightly against the table repeatedly till Mark pulls him up by the shoulders.

Jeno, for his part, is too busy holding Donghyuck back from trying to leap across the table and strangle Renjun to say much of anything. Donghyuck has no problem voicing his opinion, though. “You absolute _dumbass._ There’s a cute boy in front of you - who likes art, which is your favourite thing, by the way - with a cute accent giving you a cute apology and stupid cute heart eyes and all you can say is _uhm?_ Mark raised you better than this!”

“I’m still not your dad.”

Jaemin swats Mark’s bicep. “Now is _not_ the time.”

Well, this conversation got derailed faster than Jeno expected - and he really needs to get them back on track, because lunch is almost over. “Guys, we should probably let them talk it out alone. I got Harvey here, I think our work here is done.”

“You did this?” Renjun squints at him like he’s trying to smite Jeno with laser eyes that he doesn’t have. Not as far as Jeno knows, at least.

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” Jeno turns to Mark, jerking his head toward the door, praying to whatever’s out there that Mark gets the hint.

He does. “Okay, c’mon.” Mark pulls Jaemin up by the arm, guiding him with a loose grip on his wrist. “We’re gonna head to class early,” he tells Renjun and Harvey before turning and power walking toward the door with Jaemin in tow and a “Let’s get it!” over his shoulder at Donghyuck and Jeno.

Jeno just picks Donghyuck up and drags him along, because he wants to get out of there as quickly as possible and Donghyuck doesn’t seem inclined to get up any time soon of his own accord. The four of them look fucking ridiculous, with Jeno carrying Donghyuck by the armpits and Mark all but dragging Jaemin by the arm, but the faster they flee the scene, the sooner Renjun can get the stick out of his ass and talk to Harvey.

When they make it to the hallway, Jeno finally puts Donghyuck down, who stomps on his foot in retaliation for the embarrassment he just endured. Jaemin just slings an arm across Mark’s shoulders when Mark lets him go. Jeno decides that next time, he’ll leave Mark in charge of Donghyuck.

Wait - speaking of Mark…

“Hey, Marky Mark?” Jeno says, causing Mark to look up from tying his shoe. He looks apprehensive, which he should, but he doesn’t need to know that yet.

“You only call me that when you’re about to do something I’ll hate.” And well, he isn’t wrong.

Jeno just gives him the sweetest smile he can muster. “So, what’s up with you and Yukhei?”

Mark chokes on his own spit. That’s all the answer Jeno needs.

-

“So what the fuck happened?” Donghyuck demands as soon as Renjun steps through the door of the art room.

He’s standing there with Jeno, Mark, and Jaemin, where they’ve been waiting for Renjun for at least a good thirty minutes. Jaemin was afraid they’d miss Renjun, and then they’d have to wait till tomorrow to hear the story because Renjun always ignores it when they text him.

Renjun doesn’t actually have to answer though, because Harvey’s stepping into the hallway with him, an arm thrown over Renjun’s shoulders. Donghyuck cocks an eyebrow at him.

“Oh my god, they’re so cute,” Jaemin says, wiping fake tears from his eyes. Donghyuck karate chops him in the hip.

“Stop being a sap,” he says, like he isn’t giving Renjun the fondest smile Jeno’s ever seen.

“Could y’all please stop stalking me? I have shit to do,” Renjun huffs, trying to brush past them.

“Like what? Hang out with Harvey?” Donghyuck says, and Harvey gives him a high five.

Mark folds his arms like the total dork he is. “You can’t do that until I give him the talk!”

Renjun rolls his eyes, still tugging Harvey along. “I thought you weren’t my dad?”

“That was before you met a boy!”

“Jesus, Mark, we’re just friends. I don’t need love.”

“That’s what they all say,” Jaemin mutters, and Jeno has to agree. Famous last words, and all that.

They stop anyway, Renjun and Harvey making their way to the door as the four of them linger in the halls. They’ll let Renjun have his space, for now. Jeno’s already texting Harvey about sitting with them for lunch from now on, so starting tomorrow, all bets are off.

-

“How’d you even get Harvey’s number?” Donghyuck asks from where he’s laying upside down on Jeno’s bed, legs propped against the headboard.

Jeno looks over at him, turning his head from his spot next to Donghyuck. “Yukhei gave it to me.”

“Yukhei?” Donghyuck furrows his brow up at Jeno’s ceiling. “Why does he have Harvey’s number?”

Jeno sits up, leaning back on his hands and staring at the poster above his bed. Naruto smiles back at him. “Well, you know how Yukhei knows literally every senior?”

Donghyuck looks up at him, frowning. “Yeah?”

“And he’s friends with literally everyone, so he has practically every senior’s numbers?”

“Yeah?”

“Harvey’s a senior.”

Donghyuck shoots up at that, standing on Jeno’s bed, covering Naruto’s face in Jeno’s line of vision with his own. But he’s way closer than Naruto was. Actually, he’s like, really close, it’s kind of distressing. He stands with his feet on either side of Jeno’s legs, leaning down to put his hands on Jeno’s shoulders. “Do you mean to tell me,” he says slowly, “that this whole ordeal could’ve been avoided if Renjun had just fucking asked Harvey what year he’s in?”

Jeno nods. “Yeah. He was never gonna take Renjun’s spot in the art show anyway, ‘cause he’s a year ahead of us.”

A lot of emotions flash across Donghyuck’s face in a very short amount of time, but he finally settles on exasperation. He collapses back onto Jeno’s bed, half on top of him, and scrubs his face with his hands. “I’m going to kill him tomorrow.”

Jeno cards his fingers soothingly through Donghyuck’s hair. “Don’t kill him yet, Hyuck. He hasn’t even figured out that he thinks Harvey is cute yet.”

“Maybe a near death experience is the wake up call he needs.”

“Alright, fine. You can almost kill him.” Donghyuck moves his hands, smiling up at Jeno. “I said _almost._ ”

“I’ll take it.”

“Good talk. My dad made cake, do you want some?”

Donghyuck perks up at that. “Did Jason spike it again?”

“No, Dad got pissed last time he did that.”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “God, your dad is so lame. I don’t know how he ever ended up with Jason.”

Jeno scoffs. “Excuse you, my dad is the best.”

“Nope. Mark is the world’s best dad.”

“I’m telling him you said that.”

Donghyuck smacks Jeno in the stomach, which is the only thing he can properly reach from where he’s draped half across Jeno’s body. “If you do, I’ll kill you tomorrow, too.”

“Hyuck, I said _almost_.”

Donghyuck flashes him a devilish grin. “I know.”

Jeno sends out a telepathic apology to Renjun for whatever Donghyuck has planned to make him get over his emotional constipation. He isn’t sure he wants to know, but he can’t wait to find out.

**Author's Note:**

> how tf did i write 5k of this bullshit? who knows bc it's certainly not me


End file.
